Colombia's president-elect suspends transition, accuses Petro of attempting a coupIn the most sensitive part of his remarks, the president-elect asked the Armed Forces to “fulfill their oath to protect the Constitution and not obey any order from Petro to the contrary.” He also called on citizens to “resist” until the inauguration, and said he would respect peaceful protest but not “acts of force.” The decision follows a hardening of Petro's stance. The previous day, the president had reiterated that he does not recognize the incoming government's legitimacy and claimed the true winner was his candidate, left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, insisting on alleged fraud through algorithm manipulation.
https://colombiareports.com/petro-to-seek-court-order-to-annul-election-of-de-la-espriella/Cuba sees nationwide power blackout for third time in six months“Vital services continue to be protected, amidst this complex situation exacerbated by the energy blockade we face,” he said. Grid operator UNE said it was providing electricity to some vital services, including hospitals and food production centres, but by late afternoon was able to serve only 1 percent of the capital, Havana’s, demand.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/7/cuba-sees-nationwide-power-blackout-for-third-time-in-six-monthshttps://archive.ph/hdfbD US cancels waiver allowing Iran oil sales as Gulf vessels attacked The waiver originally allowed the Islamic Republic to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through 21 August. The US tied sanctions relief to progress in talks over a permanent end to the war. But on Tuesday, three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz were attacked within a few hours, including a Qatari LNG vessel, according to maritime monitors and Qatar.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-cancels-waiver-allowing-iran-oil-sales-gulf-vessels-attackedExplosions in Damascus during Macron visit to SyriaExplosions have been heard in the Syrian capital, Damascus, in what security experts believe may have been an attack against French President Emmanuel Macron and his delegation as he makes a landmark visit to the city. Macron is the first European leader to visit Syria since the 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad by rebel forces led by Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/7/explosions-in-damascus-during-macron-visit-what-we-knowhttps://archive.ph/3VXbJIreland passes bill banning goods from Israeli settlementsThe Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) bill prohibits the import of goods from "certain Israeli settlements". Those include residential, agricultural and business interests that lie outside Israel's internationally recognised borders. While Ireland was the first EU country to propose such a ban, Spain already implemented a package of import restrictions last October.
https://www.newarab.com/news/ireland-passes-bill-banning-goods-israeli-settlementsMan Who Has Lived in UK 26 Years Faces Deportation to JamaicaA Jamaican man who has lived in the UK for 26 years is being detained in a cell facing deportation, in one of the first such cases since new anti-immigration measures were announced last week. Mark Nelson, 46, came to the UK in 2000. In 2017 he received a four-year prison sentence for growing cannabis, which he did after his car mechanic business faced difficulties. He served two years and has not committed an offence since.
https://novaramedia.com/2026/07/07/man-who-has-lived-in-uk-26-years-faces-deportation-to-jamaica/Far-right Alternative for Germany holds party congress: Police violence and political support pave the way to governmentThe venue and date of the party conference were chosen deliberately. Exactly 100 years ago to the day, on July 3 and 4, 1926, the first Reich Party Congress of the re-established NSDAP took place in nearby Weimar, at which the party reorganised itself following its temporary ban in the wake of the Hitler putsch and definitively pledged its allegiance to Hitler as Führer.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/07/07/qzpr-j07.htmlScottish government launch ‘mansion tax’ consultationLaunching the consultation on the levy, which could see council tax takes soar by as much as 0.45 per cent, Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “Our progressive approach to taxation helps to target investment in economic growth, deliver public services and support cost-of-living measures not available elsewhere in the UK, such as free tuition, free prescriptions and our plans for a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/scottish-government-launch-mansion-tax-consultationMarine Le Pen to run for presidency and appeal against conviction in France’s highest courtAlthough the court shortened Le Pen’s ban on running for elected office, effectively allowing her to run in the spring, it also handed her a three-year jail term, with two years suspended. During the other year, it said, she must wear an electronic ankle tag for monitoring, restricting the hours she could leave her home.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/07/marine-le-pen-doubt-presidential-election-electronic-tag-franceKenya and Tanzania deploy security forces against Gen-Z-led Saba Saba protestsSecurity forces were mobilised across Kenya and Tanzania on Tuesday July 7 to suppress Gen-Z-led Saba Saba Day protests. Saba Saba—“seven seven” in Kiswahili—has a distinct history in each country, but in both it has become synonymous with confrontation between the state and the working class.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/07/07/rbww-j07.htmlJournalists and human rights groups warn against South Korea's new ‘vaguely worded’ fake news lawThe law allows courts to award damages of up to five times the proven losses against news organisations and large social media channels, including YouTube creators, that circulate “illegal,” false or manipulated information to cause harm or generate profit. In addition, those who distribute information more than twice after a court has confirmed it to be false or manipulated could be fined up to 1 billion won (£493,375) by the country’s media regulator.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/journalists-and-human-rights-groups-warn-against-south-koreas-new-vaguely-worded-fake-newsSri Lanka prison riot kills 26, with more than 100 others wounded Clashes at a Sri Lankan jail have killed 26 people, including seven guards, and wounded more than 100 in the country’s deadliest prison riot in years, officials said. Victims with cuts and gunshot injuries were rushed to Negombo hospital, north of the capital Colombo after overnight fighting between prisoners from two drug gangs, police said on Monday.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/07/sri-lanka-prison-riot-death-toll-injuries